One well - known book could be 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. It's a classic in the genre, with a richly imagined desert planet, complex political intrigue, and a hero's journey.
Definitely 'Harry Potter'. It has a huge fan base all over the world. The story is engaging and has been adapted into successful movies. 'The Lord of the Rings' is also extremely popular. It has influenced a lot of modern fantasy works. Its epic battles and detailed world are very appealing.
Many of them often explore new worlds, whether it's a different planet like in 'The Martian' or a far - off galactic civilization in other books. They tend to play with concepts like advanced technology, alien species, and different forms of governance.
One cannot miss 'His Dark Materials' by Philip Pullman. It has a complex and thought - provoking world where people have daemons and there are multiple parallel universes. 'The Earthsea Cycle' by Ursula K. Le Guin is also essential. It focuses on the wizard Ged and his growth and adventures in the world of Earthsea, with themes of balance, power, and self - knowledge.
One great book on such a list could be 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. It has a richly imagined desert planet, complex political intrigue, and a hero's journey. Another is 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card. It explores military strategy and ethics in a future where children are trained for interstellar war. And 'Neuromancer' by William Gibson is also a classic. It was one of the first to really delve into the concept of cyberspace.
One of the books could be 'The Fifth Season' by N.K. Jemisin. It has a unique world - building with a post - apocalyptic setting and elements of magic and geology combined in an interesting way.
I think 'The Grace of Kings' by Ken Liu was also quite popular. It has a great blend of Asian - inspired mythology and science fiction elements. It's about kingdoms and power struggles in a world that has some advanced technological aspects.
There's 'The Chronicles of Narnia' by C.S. Lewis. It takes readers into the magical land of Narnia through a wardrobe, full of talking animals and epic battles between good and evil. 'Mistborn' by Brandon Sanderson is also great. It has a unique magic system and a complex plot that keeps readers hooked. Then there's 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss. It tells the story of Kvothe, a very talented young man with a mysterious past in a vividly imagined fantasy world.
High fantasy books often have a completely fictional world. For example, in 'Mistborn' by Brandon Sanderson, the world has a unique magic system based on the ingestion of metals. They also usually feature a hero's journey, like in 'The Wheel of Time' where Rand al'Thor goes through many trials to fulfill his destiny.
The 'Divergent' series was also very popular. People were drawn to its unique concept of the factions in society. The idea of having to choose a path in life based on a certain trait and then dealing with the consequences was really interesting to readers. The action scenes and the development of the relationship between Tris and Four added to its appeal.